Nothing and Everything = Nothrything

Why did the chicken cross the road ?…

…We’re not quite sure exactly why. Perhaps it was to seek shelter. Maybe he was lost and sensed that our house was animal friendly. Or it may have been just to add one more oddity to our strange, surprise filled day to day lives.

It was the beginning of August 2004 and hurricane Charley was on his way. Suddenly a fully grown chicken showed up at the front door. This wouldn’t be so odd maybe if we lived in a farm area but we live in a completely residential area. Dogs and cats show up from time to time, some even spend the night but this was the first chicken. We had no idea where he came from but he was friendly and was comfortable around people. We spent some time with him and then tried to send him on his way…but he wasn’t going anywhere.

With a major hurricane having its nasty eye set on our area, we couldn’t let this chicken roam the streets. We wanted to make sure he survived the storm so we made a place for him in our enclosed back porch where “he” layed an egg! We aren’t sure why we stinll continue to call him a he, but we do! During his stay with us we decided to have a little fun. Matt’s sister had a bedroom that had been described as looking like a “clothes bomb” had gone off in it. While she was out we introduced the chicken to her room. The chicken seemed to really enjoy her room and the comfort of the soft nest like clothes bomb. As the chicken nestled in and made himself right at home we carefully placed a hidden video camera in the room.(This video has not been located)

It should be mentioned, that Matt’s sister had not yet met the chicken so she was unaware that we had a chicken at the house. With that in mind, we felt that the last thing she would expect to encounter in her room would be a chicken…or a goat…but we only had a chicken at the time.

A short time later she arrived home. We were pretty excited for the anticipated “meeting”. She went into her room and all was quiet for a few minutes. This “clothes bomb” was quite widespread so it was very possible that a chicken (or a goat) may not be noticed right away. But then it came…the moment we were waiting for…a blood curdling scream unmatched by any horror movie. We also heard inaudible words (and possible expicitives) amongst the screams.

She quickly emerged from her room with tears in her eyes and sheer terror in her face. She was greeted by several of us laughing so hard that we too shed tears. She said in a terrified tone : “Whaaaat was thaaaaat!?”. We told her, quite simply, that it was a chicken. Nearly crying she replied “Whyyy…why is there a chicken in there ???”. We explained to her why the chicken was visiting and that he was only in her room to get the reaction we had just enjoyed. When we went in to congratulate the chicken on a job well done, I’m pretty sure there was a mischievous smile on his little chicken face. He fit in so well.

As much as we would have loved to keep the chicken, after the storm passed we found him a home on an actual farm with other chickens and goats, but he had a good time and was pretty much treated like royalty during his stay with us. So maybe this chicken crossed the road to make some friends, some memories and to do some things that most chickens don’t get to do.

Tell us about your animal stories! Share with friends on Facebook and don’t forget to follow us!